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Tuesday, November 29, 2011

The Importance of a Good Night’s Sleep

Three weeks ago, if you asked me how I diapered my baby I could talk for hours about the different cloth diaper systems I used, my process for doing laundry, the environmental benefits, or even how to find the best deals on the internet. If you asked me how I got my baby to sleep, I would have come up short of expert status. Maybe I could have fumbled about rocking her or the one time that she really slept well with the sound machine, but I certainly could not speak with any authority on a regular practice. I decided to devote the time I usually spent with the Diaper Whisperer to the Baby Whisperer instead.

I spent a full week at home minimizing sleep disruptions in order to get my three-month-old baby into good sleep habits. I was confident that I was doing the right thing for her because she was making such good progress easing into naps and sleep. We had many challenges along the way not only transitioning into a new routine for winding down, but also finding the right nighttime diaper solution.

Since Hannah was born a few weeks early, the pediatrician recommended I feed her on demand, which often amounted to every 2-3 hours at night. I was also following the suggestion to change her before meals to help wake her up since pre-term babies have a tendency to fall asleep nursing. After she hit the 3-month mark I started changing her after meals and experiencing leaks for the first time. We needed to find a new diaper, stat!

My waterproof lap mats were indispensible while testing out new diapers. It was a good starting point, but it wasn’t always fool proof to check absorbency in the sink after prepping diapers since her weight could cause a leak once they were on. I exhausted prefolds, fitteds, and AIOs in favor of pockets. However, I did learn a bit about how to make each of them work well during the daytime. I visited the manufacturer sites for helpful tips on fitting the diapers, such as buttoning snaps from the bottom up to ensure they are snug.

Ultimately, I’ve settled on using Fuzzibunz in size Small with a hemp doubler. I also made the switch to using cloth wipes and keeping them in a warmer so they are more soothing at night. She’s growing quickly, so we will have to begin trying diapers for the next phase soon. If you end up in a transition stage between sizes- don’t give up on cloth right away. Seek help on the message boards or from the manufacturer directly. Also, if you haven’t reached this point yet save some of your cloth budget in case it happens to you… and definitely carry a lap mat!

BIO: Jeannette is a budget conscious mama with a degree in Design and Merchandising from Drexel University. If you like this post, visit her blog for daily updates @ www.5weeksearly.blogspot.com.